James Taylor

Advent has made a string of promotions across its European and North American offices, including three new partners.

The Carlyle Group has recruited North African specialist Hassan El-Khatib as a managing director to bolster its newly formed MENA team in Cairo.

A record final quarter for buyouts, including thirteen deals valued at over one billion euros, saw the total value of European private equity deals increase to €178bn in 2006.

Abingworth has closed a record £300 million fund, which will target life sciences investments in Europe and North America.

KKR teams up with a consortium of banks, hedge funds and investors to buy the world’s largest higher education provider, in a $3.8 billion deal.

Countrywide shareholders reject 3i’s £978 million take-private bid, leaving the listed buyout firm about £4 million worse off.

3i has launched a new growth capital team in the US, as it looks to repeat its European success in the competitive mid-market space.

Private equity heavyweights are lining up to compete with trade players for the oilfield assets of Dominion, a US energy group, as the industry continues to target upstream energy assets.

Investcorp, the Bahrain-based alternative investment group, has launched a joint venture with WMG - a long/ short hedge fund focused on Asia.

The Private Equity Foundation, a new initiative designed to help the industry co-ordinate its charitable giving, launched in London last night.